Unseen
by clarawithfitzsimmonsin221b
Summary: I don't know how it got to be this way. I don't know why I am the way I am. I only know that all I can do is make the best of it, even if that means living my life in a world where no one knows that I exist.
1. Invisible

_Trust the one  
Who's been where you are wishing all it was  
Was sticks and stones  
Those words cut deep but they don't mean you're all alone  
And you're not invisible  
Hear me out,  
There's so much more to life than what you're feeling now  
Someday you'll look back on all these days  
And all this pain is gonna be invisible  
Oh, invisible_

* * *

I can move, but no one can see me.

I can speak, but no one can hear me.

I can touch, but no one can feel me.

I don't know what I am.

I know that I am here and I am real.

But to the world, I do not exist.

* * *

I call myself Shadow. I don't have a real family and I have no friends. There is no one else like me. I'm not even sure how this all started for me. The earliest memory I have is running after another little girl on a beach, watching as a woman picked her up and carried her to a car and drove away. Back then, I thought that a woman like that came for every little girl on the beach. In a way, I was right. A woman came for every little girl there.

Every little girl, except for me.

That was when I started to figure things out. I might look exactly like a normal person, with two eyes, two hands, one nose, and so on, but I am different. No one can see me or hear me. I am invisible. I am a ghost. I don't know if I'm from a different planet, or why I am this way. I just know that I am and after twenty-two years, I've come to accept that I might live my entire life and never have another person know me.

.

.

.

I was ten when I finally left my beach. I had finally decided that I needed to do something more with this weird sort of life that I had. It was easy to get away from the beach; all I had to do was slip into the trunk of a car when no one was looking. They couldn't see me, but I had to be careful not to jostle any of the things inside the car. The family that I snuck away with-the Scotts-had a little eleven-year-old named Alena and for the car ride back to their house I pretended I was her. I complained when she did and when she slept, I did the same. That was how I came up with The Game. Every day I wake up and I become someone else. I completely become them, down to every last detail.

I become their shadow.

So here I am, twelve years later and I'm still playing it. So when the alarm clock goes off in the bedroom of the apartment that I'm 'borrowing' while the owner is on vacation, I swing my legs out of the bed and pad off toward the bathroom to get ready.

An hour and a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios later, I'm all set. My salt-and-pepper hair is in a long side braid and I've got on my favorite jeans. I'm wearing a purple tank top and carrying a teal side bag. Since I didn't bother putting my contacts in, I'm wearing my simple black frame glasses over my clear blue eyes. Hanging around my neck is the only clue I have to who I am. The necklace has a fine golden chain and dangling on the end is a funny looking shape made of smooth gold. It's an infinity sign, but on the left loop the ends don't meet. Instead, the end closest to the middle of the symbol drops down and forms a tear shape. The necklace has been around my neck for as long as I can remember, from when I was small enough that it reached my belly button until now. I have no idea what the shape means, despite having looked through every data base I could get access to. From what I've been able to find, the shape is just like me.

It doesn't exist.

I shake my head and pull myself out of my self-pitying thoughts. I've told myself a dozen times that it doesn't do any good to dwell on the mystery of who I am-clearly I'm not going to find any answers. I shut the lid tightly on that box and smile when I step out into the New York sunshine.

_Who should I be today?_

I cast a glance up and down the street and my gaze lands on a petite woman with short, dark, hair who is sitting on a bench, reading the newspaper.

_Perfect. _

I move over and stand just behind the woman, soaking in the early June warmth while I wait for her to do something, anything that will tell me more about her. I already know that she prefers the New York Post to the Times and that she likes cinnamon vanilla perfume. She's drinking coffee, not tea, so she's probably a native New Yorker.

"Steph!"

A voice calls out from just down the street and the woman's head jerks up. She smiles at the brunette who is waving to her and folds up her newspaper, grabs her coffee, and goes off to meet her friend.

_Alright. Let's go be Steph._

* * *

As it turns out, Steph is a very, very busy person. She and her brunette friend, whose name is Mellany or Mels, get breakfast in a little café. I sit on the window ledge behind their table, laughing at Mels' jokes and sighing when they take just a little too long to deliver the food that I won't get to eat. After breakfast, Steph (with me tagging along) was out the door and off to her fitness club.

_So, we like to exercise_.

We spent the better part of the morning using various exercise equipment and to be honest, it felt great. It had been a while since I shadowed someone who liked to work out and I hadn't realized how much I missed it. I hurried through a shower before anyone could notice the water running in an empty stall and toweled off, quickly following Steph out the front door. We made it about half a block down the street when her phone started ringing.

"Hello?"

Steph paused for a moment and I watched curiously as her face brightened considerably.

"Absolutely. Pick me up one the corner of…" she trailed off as she glanced at the street sign of the nearest road, "Madison and Cook."

The person on the other end made a comment and Steph smiled, a little blush creeping up her neck.

"Just get here," she said, her voice a little higher than normal and she hung up the phone. When she started off again with me at her heels, her pace had quickened and there was a new spring in her step. I felt a sinking in my chest; I had an idea who we were going to meet and I didn't think that I would be able to stay.

I watched Steph closely, waiting for her face to signal that the car we were waiting for had come into view. Finally, her eyes lit up and she grinned when a small, silver Honda pulled around the corner. I immediately zeroed in on the driver and my heart dropped through my stomach. I didn't move as Steph made her way to the curb and opened the door. She slid into the car and leaned over to give the handsome man driving the vehicle a kiss. He pulled away with a look of complete adoration in his eyes and I felt the tears prick my eyes and a lump rise in my throat. I turned away as the car pulled back into traffic, my eyes burning.

_I think I'll just go back to the apartment._

I could pretend all I liked, but I knew that no one would ever look at _me_ that way and no matter what I told myself, it hurt like hell.

* * *

The next morning I woke up two hours before my alarm, but I felt surprisingly rested. I shook off the residual pain from yesterday's episode with Steph and set about making myself ready to go. I tugged on my jeans and a pair of navy blue sneakers. Today I actually took the time to put in my contacts, but all I did with my hair was twist it into a ponytail. My necklace hung just above the neckline of my white blouse and I stepped out of the apartment. My breath hung in a cloud in the early morning cool. The sun peeked over the horizon, casting streaks of pink and orange across the sky. I don't often wake up in time to catch the sunrise, but when I do, it always takes my breath away. I perform my usual look up and down the street but find nothing.

_Of course not. No one in their right mind is awake and out at sunrise._

All of a sudden, a movement on the edge of my vision catches my attention. I turn and smile when I see a figure jogging this way. Her curly, fiery red hair is pulled back in a ponytail and she has white ear buds in either ear.

_I guess I got lucky this morning._

When the woman reaches my location I start jogging a few feet behind her, making careful observations about my persona today. Her concentrated look, along with her well-toned muscles, tells me that she is serious about fitness. It may even be connected to her line of work. She isn't wearing any makeup, but she doesn't need to. The woman has a natural beauty and it glows all around her. I content myself with my observations and sink into this person's life, allowing myself to pretend that I am simply the red-haired woman, out for my usual morning jog.

* * *

We must have jogged a good five miles before the woman finally stopped in front of a small apartment complex. I followed her through the front door and up three flights of stairs. She fished a key out of her pocket and let herself (and me) into apartment number 312. I stayed right by the door, watching the woman. She was systematically checking the apartment, as if she expected there to be an intruder.

_So is she just paranoid, or has something happened to her?_

I know I probably won't ever find out, but that doesn't stop me from wondering. The woman finished her search and she went into the bathroom. A moment later I heard the water start and I sat down on the couch while she showered. After a couple of minutes she emerged wearing black athletic shorts and a white tank top, her hair hanging in damp waves. She was just tying the laces on her sneakers when there was a knock on the door. A small smile snuck on to her face and I found myself filled with a sense of dread.

_Did I really manage to pick two in a row?_

I follow the woman to the door and stand behind her shoulder. I resign myself to the inevitable and to spending another day drowning in self-pity at the apartment. My fears are confirmed when she opens the door and I see a rugged man standing there.

That was about when things started to go…well, that was when things _stopped_ going according to plans.

"Hey Tash-" The man's smile melted halfway through his greeting and the woman's name was cut off as he frowned. My breath caught in my throat, because he was directing that concerned look over the woman's shoulder.

He was looking at _me_.

_No,_ I told myself. I glanced over my own shoulder to see what was behind me, _he's just looking at that weird patch of carpet. He's not looking at you because no one can see you, remember?_

I winced slightly as I remembered that little detail.

"Clint?" The woman frowned as well, staring up at the man before glancing over her shoulder in confusion. "What is it?"

"Natasha…why is there a girl standing behind you?"

I was so fixated on finding out the woman's name that for a second I didn't quite register the rest of the man's question. But then my mind caught up to my ears.

_Wait, what?_

I stared at the man with wide eyes, gasping when he stared right back at me.

Not through me, _at_ me.

Like his eyes could actually see my body, like he knew that I was there.

_Someone can see me,_ I thought, a sort of numb joy setting in, _someone can _see_ me._

Of course, it wasn't really that simple. The woman spun around and stared at where I was standing, but I could tell from the puzzled look in her eyes that all she was seeing was empty space.

"Clint…there's nothing there…"

The man-Clint-pushed past her and loomed over me. I shrunk back and stared up at him with wide, scared eyes.

If this was what people were like when they saw you, maybe I was better off being invisible.

"Who are you?" asked Clint, his eyes hard and unforgiving. I swallowed and took a breath to say the first words that someone might actually hear.

"Can you really see me?"

"Clint-" Clint held up a hand to hush the woman he had called Tasha. She flashed him a glare but fell silent.

"Of course I can," Clint spoke back to me, his harsh glare cooling a few notches and mixing with puzzlement, "Why can't Natasha?"

I glanced over at the red-head who was staring at Clint with a mix of worry and anger.

"Because she's normal," I whispered. Clint's frown deepened and he shot Natasha a look.

"You really don't see her, do you?"

"It's because there's nothing there, Clint. Don't you think I would've known if someone was in my apartment?"

Clint looked back at me and then back at Natasha, and then his face lit up.

"Hang on a second." He darted over to the counter, grabbed the pad of paper and pen that Natasha kept there and brought it back, holding it out to me. I looked at him, not sure what he wanted me to do.

"Write something. Prove to Natasha that you're real and I'm not delusional," he explained, catching my confused look. I nodded slowly. Anything, as long as he didn't turn back into the mean, menacing man that had seen me through the door. I took the pad of paper and pen from him and heard Natasha gasp. Clint glanced up at her, wordlessly questioning her.

"It just…" She stared in wonder at the pen and paper that I knew she couldn't see.

"What, Nat?"

"It just disappeared," I said quietly, "just like anything else that I touch."

Clint's head swung back in my direction. "What did you mean when you said 'she's normal'? Because really, she's not. Neither of us is."

Natasha snorted. "She called me normal?"

I twisted the pen between my fingers. "She can't see me. Or hear me. So she's like everyone else."

"Everyone?" I nodded, looking down at my hands. "Why?"

"I don't know."

"Clint…"

"Sorry Nat." He looked over at me and nodded at the paper. "Write something?"

I paused for a second, then went with the obvious. I scribbled 'hi' onto the paper and dropped the paper so that Natasha would be able to see it again. It popped back into her vision and she stared at the word written there. Slowly, she looked at me, and even though all she was seeing was thin air, she slowly said,

"Hello."

Clint looked at me. "Where are you from?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything about myself."

"Have you always been this way?"

I nodded, still not sure how they were going to react. Natasha was watching Clint and both of them looked properly shocked. For a minute, it looked like neither of them was quite sure what to say. Finally, Natasha looked back in my general direction.

"What's your name?"

I sighed softly. "I don't have a name. Not really."

Natasha was staring expectantly at Clint, waiting for the answer. Clint furrowed his brow in confusion when he heard my reply.

"You must call yourself something."

I shook my head. "Yesterday, I was Steph. Today, I'm Natasha."

"But in your head, don't you think of yourself as anything?"

_Well he's nothing if not persistent._

"I guess the closest thing I have to a name is Shadow. That's what I do, so if I have to refer to the real me, that's what I use. But I never have to."

"Well?" Natasha was getting impatient. I could understand why. It was probably really frustrating, only hearing one side of a conversation that was happening right in front of her eyes.

"She calls herself Shadow, when she has to. She says that she has a different name every day. I think it's because she 'shadows' people each day, pretending to be them, so she adopts their name when she's following them."

Painful understanding appeared in Natasha's eyes. "She's a different person every day?"

Clint looked up, hearing the slight catch in Natasha's voice. "Yeah."

"So what do we do?"

I looked over at Natasha, surprised. What did she mean? They couldn't exactly tell people that there was an invisible person running around New York. No one was going to buy that.

"Well, we could take her to Fury…" Clint chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. "Scratch that. Let's take her to Coulson."

What?

"You can't just take me somewhere!" I cried in protest.

"Well, I'm certainly not letting you walk back out into a world where no one can see you!" Clint looked at her like she was insane. "What happens if you get hurt or sick or something?"

"I'm 22," I said evenly, "I can take care of myself. I don't get sick, and I heal fast."

"I'm still taking you in," insisted Clint, "We need to figure this out." He gestured between the two of us.

"He has grounds for taking you in," pointed out Natasha, "you broke into my apartment."

I rolled my eyes at both of them. "You can't send a person who doesn't exist to jail."

"Watch me," said Clint, and the determination in his eyes was hard to doubt. He glanced over at Natasha. "You ready?"

She nodded and Clint looked down at me. I sighed and pushed myself forward so I was standing in front of him.

"Good. Let's go."

* * *

"You expect me to believe this, Barton? Romanoff?"

The man they called Coulson looked disbelievingly between the two people and then he looked at the empty space between them.

The empty space that wasn't really empty, of course.

I watched the man, fidgeting nervously. My eyes unconsciously flicked toward Clint and I waited to see what he would do.

"Not until we prove it to you Phil."

"And how are you going to prove to me that an invisible girl that only you can see is sitting in front of me, Barton?"

"Like this." Clint picked up paper and a pen from Coulson's desk and turned to me. I took the paper hesitantly, waiting for Coulson's look of surprise, but he just stared at the spot where the items had disappeared.

Apparently, he had seen things disappear into thin air before.

"Write something," Clint told me for the second time that day. I sighed and wrote 'hi Mr. Coulson' on the paper and handed it back to Clint. Coulson didn't even blink when the paper reappeared. Clint passed it to the man behind the desk and he took it and looked down. When he looked back up there was only a trace of doubt left in his eyes.

"She's really there?" Clint and Natasha nodded. "And she says no one can see her? No one has ever been able to?"

"No one," confirmed Clint. I shrunk back a bit in my chair when Coulson turned his gaze on me, but I met his eyes as confidently as I could, even if he didn't know that I was doing it.

"Does she know why?" Clint shook his head. Coulson sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"So what exactly are you asking me to do, Barton?"

"Can she stay here at S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

_Shield? What the hell is that? Is that where we are? This whole situation has given me a deplorable lack of curiosity. _

Coulson hesitated, but apparently he didn't have a defense mechanism against the really big puppy dog eyes that Clint was giving him right now.

"Fine, fine! She can stay until we figure the situation out more." Clint grinned widely and even turned to me to give me a little thumbs-up. I felt myself smile in spite of myself. Even if I didn't know anything about this 'shield', it was so nice to have someone fighting for me.

It was something that I never thought I would get to feel.

"Why don't you get her set up in the room between yours and Romanoff's where you guys hide your secret stash of medical supplies?"

A guilty look crossed Clint's face, followed by indignation.

"How do you know about that?!"

Natasha snorted at Clint and Coulson smiled.

"Honestly Barton, I'm your handler. When are you going to stop asking that question?"

Natasha smirked and Coulson rounded on her. "I'm your handler too Romanoff. Remember that. Now get out of my office."

Clint and Natasha rose and turned toward the door but Coulson's voice stopped them-and me-one last time.

"Oh and it was nice to meet you…?"

"Shadow," I whispered.

"Shadow," said Clint.

"It was nice to meet you Shadow." Coulson's eyes were smiling and his face looked kind. I couldn't help but smile back, just a tiny little grin.

"Thank you," I said, begging Clint not to lose any of the emotion in my voice when he translated.

"She says 'thank you'." Clint's voice caught at the end and I nodded, satisfied.

"Alright," said Coulson, "_Now_ you can get out."

Smiling widely, Clint and Natasha led me down the hallway to a new life where maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have to pretend anymore.

* * *

**A/N: Soooooooo what do you guys think? Reviews are much appreciated and I'm definitely open to any requests that you may have about this story, although I do reserve the right to not use them:-) Until next chapter!**


	2. Hello World

**A/N: Alright so here we are, chapter 2! sorry about the bit of a wait; I've been struggling with some writers block recently and it really sucks. Also, my family is on vacation so I'm not entirely certain when the next update will come. Hopefully soon, but I'm sure that my parents will force me to come out and be social at some point :P Anyways, here's another chapter for you!**

* * *

_Hello world_  
_ How've you been?_  
_ Good to see you, my old friend_  
_ Sometimes I feel as cold as steel_  
_ And broken like I'm never going to heal_  
_ I see a light_  
_ A little grace, a little faith unfurled_  
_ Hello world_

* * *

The room that Clint and Natasha led me to was little more than a glorified closet, but I really didn't care. I was more interested in the explanation I was expecting. My head was buzzing with questions that I desperately needed the answers to. I sat on the edge of the little bed that took up most of the room and ignored the clutter of unused, mismatched medical supplies. Clint and Natasha slid into the room after me and clung to the opposite wall. Natasha was watching Clint uncertainly, waiting for him to speak, and I did the same.

"So…I'm guessing you're a little confused?"

I didn't even bother dignifying that question with any response other than an eye roll. I had been seen for the first time by some strange man who then proceeded to drag me off to some random building without asking me how I felt about it. _Of course_ I was confused. Clint jerked his head to the side a little, acknowledging the stupidity of his question.

"Where do you want to start?"

I thought about that for a moment. There were so many things that I wanted to ask, to know about, but I decided to start with some basic knowledge. I liked to have my bearings.

"Where are we?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Yes, thank you, because that helps me so much." Sarcasm dripped from my words; a knee-jerk response that I couldn't help.

_Careful, Shadow. We want to make friends, remember?_

Clint raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't comment on my sass.

"The Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. We're part of the U.S. Government."

I blanched a little bit. Even without any direct contact I didn't have the highest opinion of government. But at least that explained all the people in suits and the high level of security I had seen around.

"And who exactly are you two? And what about the man we were just talking to?"

"Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff. We're, uh, agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Clint stumbled just a smidge over his and Natasha's job titles and he didn't fool me for a second. There was something more to their job than just being 'agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

"The man we were just talking to is Agent Phil Coulson, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s finest. He's our handler."

The next question was one that had been nagging me ever since Clint decided to take me anywhere.

"What am I doing here?"

Clint hesitated for a breath's space of time. "I'm not really sure. I just…well nobody should live life alone all the time."

I pursed my lips because even I knew, as disconnected from the world as I was, that the government tended to have ulterior motives for just about everything it did, but I let it go for the moment.

"What do we do next?"

"Well Coulson will arrange a meeting with Director Fury and we'll talk to him and see about getting you started with a S.H.I.E.L.D. training program-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. A S.H.I.E.L.D. training program?" I stared at Clint incredulously. He didn't really think that I wanted to be a part of his agency or whatever, did he? There was a reason I hadn't made any serious effort to establish my presence in the world. I _liked_ my little private life, even if it got a bit lonely at times. There was a lot more freedom in my life than anyone else got. Plus there was my whole aversion to government and the things they did, in case you hadn't picked up on that yet.

"Well, yeah. You have to go through some kind of training to be a part of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Natasha was watching Clint, looking a little bit amused. I guessed that she had already figured out what I was going to say, even with only hearing one half of the conversation.

"What if I don't want to be a part of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Clint opened his mouth to respond, and then shut it as he registered the meaning of my question.

"Well, why else would you have come in with us?"

I snorted. "It's not like you gave me much of a choice. You all but forced me in here."

"Oh. Right."

Sighing, I readied myself for what I had to say next. I knew that I didn't want to join up with any kind of agency and I knew now that Clint really wasn't going to go along with that. At least, not willingly.

"Look Clint, I appreciate what you're trying to do. It's nice that there is someone else in the world who knows that I exist. But government agencies are all corrupted; I don't care if you think that S.H.I.E.L.D. is different." I looked him up and down, confirming to myself what I thought his specific field in this agency might be. "I'm not a killer. Not even for the good guys, if you can call them that. Your line of work, it's not the right fit for me."

The way that Clint's eyes fell at my words affirmed my assumption: he and Natasha were assassins.

"It's not like that Shadow, just listen for a minute-"

"I can't do it. I'm going to leave now."

I started toward the door, waiting for him to try and stop me.

"Shadow, wait-"

I ignored Clint and pushed out of the room, retracing our steps from earlier. I expected to hear footsteps, the sounds of Clint chasing after me, but I heard none. The steady beat of my feet against the tiled floor was the only noise that reached my ears. I navigated the hallways until I found the door. I took one last glance at the life that could have been mine, if only I was a little different. Then someone opened the door and I slipped out past them, into the warm New York sunshine, leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. and Clint Barton behind me forever.

Or so I thought.

* * *

A growl of frustration escaped Clint as he stared after Shadow. He turned to punch the wall, only to find his hand restrained by an iron grip. He met Natasha's eyes and relaxed his arm; she was right, as usual. They couldn't really afford to replace the wall. Silently, Natasha guided him from the small bedroom and into his regular size room, shutting the door behind them.

"Why did she leave?"

Clint ran a hand through his hair. "She said she didn't want to be a part of S.H.I.E.L.D., that she wasn't a killer."

Natasha was silent after that. They both knew that it was true; they were killers. But they were killers with a purpose; at least, that's how they justified it to themselves.

"Well, I guess that's that."

Clint nodded. "I guess I'll never know why I could see her. But damn, she would have been a great asset for S.H.I.E.L.D. to have."

Natasha half-smiled, laying a comforting hand on Clint's shoulder. "We better go talk to Coulson."

* * *

"Well Barton, you still need to talk to Fury. He's expecting you in twenty minutes."

Clint groaned. "Do I have to Phil? She made it very clear that she wants nothing to do with us."

"Maybe you should have asked her about that before you decided to bring her in."

"If I ever start thinking through things before I do them, Coulson, you should have me carted off to Medical."

"Duly noted, Agent." Coulson waved a hand at Clint. "Now get lost and go figure out what you're going to say to the Director."

* * *

"…at the end of her visit, the person in question opted not to pursue a career with S.H.I.E.L.D. and exited the premises to return to her place of living."

Clint finished his formal statement to Fury and held his breath, waiting. Fury's jaw muscle was working furiously while he thought over Barton's report, his good eye fixed on Barton's.

"You're telling me that you, of all people, just let an asset walk out of here?"

"Yes, sir."

"You, the one who brought the woman he was supposed to kill back to S.H.I.E.L.D. alive, you just let an asset _walk out_?!"

Clint cringed. "She didn't give me much of a choice sir."

"You are an agent in top physical condition. I certainly hope that you are able to chase down a nineteen year old girl. Are you capable of that, Agent Barton?"

"I am, sir."

"Then that tells me that you made no effort to pursue this asset, and therefore let her walk out."

Clint didn't bother responding, knowing that it did little good to argue once the Director had his mind set on something. Fury turned toward the large bay windows in his office and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I want you to find her, Barton."

Clint looked up, alarmed. "Sir?"

"Find the girl, Barton. Bring her back in. We can't just have an invisible person running around New York."

"Sir, she's been doing it for nineteen years."

"Do you think that I care how long she's been doing it?! We didn't know about it before, now we do. At the very least we need to index her. So find her and bring her in and make sure that you get to her first. We can't possibly be the only ones who know about her, whatever she says."

Fury turned back around and stared menacingly at Barton. "That's an order and it's final. Get going, Agent Barton."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"Hey Nat."

Natasha spun around to see who was interrupting her sparring practice, unsurprised to see that it was Clint. Really, he was the only one brave enough to approach the Black Widow while she was fighting, even in practice.

"What do you need, Clint?"

"I need you to show me the route you took on your jog this morning."

Natasha eyed him suspiciously. "You can't go chasing after her Barton. She wants to be left alone."

"I don't have a choice." Clint sighed. "Fury ordered me to bring her back in."

"That is so like him." Natasha landed a few quick jabs on the punching bag. "Always poking his nose into other people's affairs."

"Yeah, well, he is our boss. So will you show me where you went?"

"Give me ten minutes."

* * *

I let myself back into the apartment, feeling completely drained despite the early hour.

_Food. I need to eat something._

I set about fixing some pasta, a comfort food that I had grown attached to after I shadowed an Italian immigrant. I was just ladling some piping hot fettuccine sauce over the penne noodles when a crash echoed through my borrowed apartment. I frowned. The owner wasn't due back for another week and why would they need to break down the door to get into their own apartment anyway?

I pushed my chair back and went to investigate. As I neared the door, I heard the voices.

"Check every room, every bit of space. She's here somewhere, even if you can't see her."

My heart stopped. What was happening? Who were these men? Was this S.H.I.E.L.D.? Panic took over and my fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. Leaving the bowl of steaming fettuccine on the table I ran for the bedroom and crawled under the bed.

_Good job Shadow. It's definitely a good idea to hide in the most obvious hiding place when strange people are looking for you._

A pair of feet stopped outside of the bedroom door and I stopped breathing. The feet turned and entered the room. I heard the closet door open and the sound of rustling clothes. Another set of feet followed the first ones in and began opening the dresser drawers. The first set of feet finished their inspection of the closet and came to stand in front of the bed. I squeezed my eyes shut tight as they flipped up the covers and checked underneath the blankets. Finally, the feet, which belonged to a man, squatted down and reached an arm under the bed. A callused, meaty hand closed around my tiny wrist and the man gave a shout. My head knocked against the bed frame as the man pulled me out of my hiding spot. I struggled fruitlessly against the man's greater strength. The second man abandoned the dresser and came to help the first man restrain me. The first man looked to the door, frowning. He looked at the second man.

"Where are the others? Why didn't they come when I yelled?"

The second man shrugged and it was the last thing that he ever did. Without any warning, something small, thin, and black flew through the open window and past my face and collided with the man's chest. His grip on my arm slackened as he fell to the floor. I blinked in shock and gaped at the projectile. I felt the pressure on my other wrist lessen and when I whipped my head to the left I saw another similar projectile sticking out of the first man's chest. As I stared at the objects that had claimed the lives of the two men, I realized what they actually were.

_Those are arrows. Who the hell uses arrows anymore?_

I jumped as something or, more accurately, someone jumped through the still-open window. As she straightened out, I realized it was a petite girl, dark hair in a ponytail and dressed from head to toe in articles of clothing in varying shades of purple. Her eyes were alert and they darted around the room before she relaxed. I was quivering a little as my body started to catch up with what had happened and when her eyes finally landed on me they grew wide.

"Are you alright?" She started forward, moving toward me. I staggered back and fell onto the bed, instinctively avoiding contact. She stopped and held her hands up in surrender.

"Whoa, hey okay, I get it, no touching." I stared at her, processing what her words meant.

_She can see me. What the heck? Two people in one day when I haven't been seen by a soul in nineteen years?_

"Will you at least nod or something? I did just save your life; just tell me if you're okay."

I couldn't make my voice work, couldn't do anything but stare at her. My gaze flicked to what she was holding in her hand and I realized what she meant by 'saved your life'. She followed my gaze and slowly bent down and set the bow on the ground. She watched me the whole time, the way that someone might watch a scared rabbit. Once she was standing again she made as though she was going to speak, but she never got the chance.

"Shadow?"

Unexpected relief flooded through me at the sound of the familiar voice. My eyes flicked to the doorway and Clint's head appeared, eyes full of concern. He looked down at the floor, at the two dead men, and back at me. Then he caught sight of the girl standing a few feet from me and I saw recognition flash in his eyes. The girl had her arms crossed and was staring at him with an impatient expression on her face.

"Late as usual, Hawkeye," she said with a smirk.

"Old habits die hard, Hawkeye," he replied. He moved past her and knelt down so that he was on eye-level with me. I was still shaking pretty hard, enough to make the whole bed quake. Clint put his hands on top of mine and the warmth and strength in them stilled my racing heart and my trembling stopped under the safety of his gaze. The girl behind him snorted.

"So he can touch you. Why am I not surprised?"

"Shut up Kate." Clint didn't move his eyes from mine and the girl-Kate-fell silent, grasping the gravity of the situation. The stormy blue-gray color of Clint's eyes pierced my clear blue ones, searching, seeking something, although what I had no clue.

"What happened, Shadow?"

"Clint, there's food on the table, it's still hot-" Natasha broke off speaking when she saw Clint kneeling in front of the bed and Kate standing off to the side. "What are you doing here, Bishop?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Excuse me, but if I hadn't showed up when I did, you and bird boy over here would have come home to an empty apartment."

Natasha glanced back at Clint. "Is she here?"

Clint pointed to where I was sitting, which Natasha only saw as empty space, of course. Kate furrowed her brow.

"Why do you have to ask? She's a little shaken up, yes, but obviously she's right there on the bed."

Natasha raised an eyebrow at Clint and he nodded. Kate watched them with an annoyed look.

"Have I mentioned that I really hate it when you guys do the little silent conversation thing?" She put a hand on her hip and fixed Clint with a _look_. "I really feel like I'm missing something. So explain."

"That attitude is going to get you in trouble one day, Katie." Clint looked back at me. I had calmed down enough to stop shaking entirely and some of the feeling was returning to my legs.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I can charm my way out of it," Kate answered cheekily. Her eyes darkened, "And _don't _call me Katie."

"Whatever you say, Katie." Kate huffed indignantly, but Clint ignored her. "Shadow, talk to me. Are you okay?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm fine now."

Clint relaxed as soon as I spoke and some of the concern faded from his eyes. "What happened?"

"I don't know." I shook my head. "I was going to eat something and those men just burst in here. I don't...who were they?"

Clint looked at Natasha who shook her head. My heart sank a little when I realized that they didn't have the answers.

"You're not asking the most important question, as usual Hawkeye." Clint and Natasha glared identical glares at Kate who shrugged. "Just sayin'. I mean, the obvious question is why did they come after her?"

Natasha and Clint exchanged a glance. "We already have an idea as to why, Bishop," said Natasha.

"Oh, well then why don't you enlighten me?"

"I'm invisible." I was a getting a little peeved at the way they were talking about me like I wasn't even there. Yeah, I know, you'd think that I'd be used to being ignored after 19 years, but this was different. They actually knew that I existed. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at Kate, waiting for her to state the obvious. Confusion rippled across her face.

"But…I can see you."

I nodded. "Yeah, you and Clint. The first people to ever see me in my entire life. Why do you think Natasha had to ask if I was here or not? She can't see or hear me; basically, she's like every other person on the planet. Every other person, except for you two."

"Why?"

"We don't know," Clint interjected. Kate looked at him, a look of smug surprise on her face.

"What do you mean, 'we don't know'? I thought that S.H.I.E.L.D. knew everything."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. still doesn't know why we keep putting up with you," muttered Natasha. Kate smiled sweetly at the red head.

"It must be my stunning personality."

"Yeah, that's it." Clint rolled his eyes and looked back at me. "Shadow, I know you don't want to have anything to do with S.H.I.E.L.D., but will you at least let us take care of you until we figure this out? Please?" Those stormy blue-gray eyes begged me to agree. MY gut twisted with fear of what was out in the world even as I reminded myself why I hadn't agreed to his proposition in the first place.

"You don't have to train or anything, I promise. Just let us look out for you. Please, Shadow." I looked directly into his eyes and I suddenly realized that if I said no Clint was going to feel guilty and responsible if something happened to me, regardless of the fact that he was offering to protect me.

"Fine. Take me in, but that's it. I'm not working for you or anything. It's just a safer place to live."

Relief poured across Clint's face. "Thank you."

I nodded and took the hand he held out to me and I let him pull me to my feet. He turned toward the door only to find his path blocked by Kate, her arms crossed and a determined look on her face.

"I'm coming with you."

"Katie…" Clint sighed. "Please don't be difficult."

"There's nothing difficult about it." Kate fixed Clint with a glare. "It's really not fair to leave Shadow with only you for company and no way am I letting you three walk away before we figure this whole thing out. So either we can stay here all day or I can come with you."

Clint groaned and rubbed a hand over his face.

"It makes sense, Clint." I jumped a little when Natasha spoke; she had been quiet so long I almost forgot that she was even there. "And it will help Shadow to have someone her own age and gender to talk to."

I nodded in agreement and Clint threw his hands up in defeat, shaking his head.

"Fine, fine, you can come! I can't argue with all three of you."

Kate smirked triumphantly and picked her bow up off the ground.

"You can't even argue with one of us, Barton," she told him as she stepped past him to the door. I looked back at Clint who, although he was shaking his head again, had a wry smile on his face.

"Who exactly was that?" I asked, still a little lost at the entire situation. Clint looked at the empty space that the girl had disappeared through and then he looked back at me.

"That was Kate Bishop. Did I mention that she's awesome?"


	3. Life's A Dance

**A/N: Heeeeey guys I am really sorry about the super long wait for this chapter. My Shadow muse has been suffering lately, plus I've had some general writer's block and I didn't want to give you anything that I wasn't satisfied with. One quick note: This story is set post-Avengers. Now I know that I wrote a scene with Coulson in it and that's because in my head Clint and Natasha know that Coulson is alive, even if they don't work as closely with him anymore. At any rate, I just didn't want any confusion. Hope you enjoy this chapter and as always your thoughts and comments are very much appreciated!:-)**

* * *

_Life's a dance,__you learn as you go._

_Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow._

_Don't worry 'bout what you don't know,_

_life's a dance, you learn as you go._

* * *

I really wasn't sure what to expect when we got back to S.H.I.E.L.D. I figured that Clint would take me back to that little bedroom and hopefully leave me to get some rest. Despite the early hour, I was completely exhausted. I was also hyper-aware of every single move that I was making, probably because there were actually people who could see what I was doing now. Clint was a few feet in front of me, talking in low tones to Natasha. Kate Bishop was immediately to my right and she kept sending me sidelong glances when she thought I wasn't looking. The big glass doors of S.H.I.E.L.D. loomed in front of me and my stomach flip-flopped.

_I almost forgot that there was a reason I left._

We entered the building and I shuddered; the entire place was swarming with suits. Kate sent me one of her sideways looks and she frowned at my obvious discomfort.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, gently touching my arm. I swallowed and shook my head, not saying a word. I felt like if I opened my mouth I might throw up and all these suits might wonder how puke came out of nowhere. Kate frowned and took a few quick steps forward to tug on Clint's shirt and get his attention. I used the moment to take a deep breath and try-unsuccessfully-to compose myself.

_It's the safest place Shadow. Living is worth a little discomfort, right?_

"Clint," hissed Kate, drawing his attention from whatever he had been about to say to Natasha. Both assassins turned around to look at the young archer. "Where are you taking us?"

"Fury," said Clint, like taking us to an emotion made total sense. I furrowed my brow in confusion, momentarily distracted from my anxiety. Kate caught my look and paused from her questioning of Clint for a moment.

"That's the guy who's in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D." she explained quietly before whirling back around and fixing Clint with a fierce stare. "And after we're done with the wonderful Director?"

"Then to the barracks." Clint looked at her like she was crazy, a hint of exasperation in his eyes. "Why is this so important right now?"

Kate turned and looked pointedly back at me, giving Clint a moment for his super-spy senses to kick in. His eyes flitted over me, taking in the way that my arms were wrapped tightly around my middle and my face was screwed up in a grimace. Clint sighed.

"I'm so sorry Shadow," he told me, looking genuinely apologetic for having to bring me back to a place where I clearly wasn't comfortable. Clint glanced back over at Kate. "What do you want me to do, Katie? There isn't another place where she'd be safe."

"Find one." Kate crossed her arms and glared at Clint. A shock coursed through me at her fierce defensiveness. We hadn't even known each other an hour, and here she was, fighting the guy who was clearly running this show about where I should be staying, simply because I looked a little twitchy. "You can't make her stay here."

"Shadow still isn't a big fan of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Natasha poked her way back into the conversation, trying to catch up on what she was missing. Clint nodded.

"Understatement," muttered Kate and I agreed with her. "Find her a different place to stay Barton, or I will not hesitate to use my Gold Visa to put both of us up in the nicest hotel I can get to and I'll tell the clerk that you're stalking me so that you can't follow us there."

"Dammit, Kate-"

"Clint, wait." Natasha's face had lit up with an idea. Clint, about to tear into Kate, stopped and looked at his partner. "There _is_ another place. Just as safe as S.H.I.E.L.D., if not safer."

Clint frowned. "Where?"

"The tower," said Natasha, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and from the look that dawned on Clint's face it might have been.

"I dunno, Nat…"

"It's either that or you have Miss Gold Card here take Shadow away. So pick your poison, Clint."

"How am I going to explain to Stark that I want to put two extra people up in the tower, one of which he can't see?"

"We don't know for sure that he won't be able to see her," pointed out Natasha, rolling her eyes when Clint's look remained skeptical. "Look, Clint, we can just give them the two extra bedrooms on our floor. It's not a big deal."

Clint hesitated and I tensed as heads started to turn in our direction. One of the suits brushed a little too close to me and I jumped and skittered away in the opposite direction. I was starting to realize how lucky I had been that the place had been practically empty when Clint brought me in the first time. Suddenly, a thin, strong, arm wove its way around my shoulders, sending waves of warmth down my back. I stilled and this time, when Kate glanced over at me, I met her gaze. I tried to force my lips into a smile, but judging by Kate's unconvinced look, I didn't do so well. She turned back to Clint, who was still deliberating.

"Five seconds Clint or I'm taking her to that hotel two blocks down with the really nice shampoo."

Natasha nodded her approval at Kate's choice in hotels and I cleared my throat. "No."

Clint and Kate's heads snapped in my direction, surprised. They may have been arguing about me, but it seemed that they had almost forgotten that I might have an opinion about the whole matter.

"No?" repeated Kate quizzically.

"No." I confirmed. "We aren't leaving in five seconds. We're leaving _now_."

Clint started to speak but I silenced him with a glare. "You're going to take me to this tower thing and if this Fury guy really needs to talk to me then he can do it there." I let my remaining breath out in a hiss, daring either of them to contradict me. "Stand here and talk some more if you like; I need to get out of here." And with that, I turned away from them, shrugged Kate's arm off, and shakily made my way towards the doors.

.

.

I counted two heartbeats before Kate was at my side, walking silently along with me. Three more heartbeats and Clint and Natasha fell into step behind us. Bright sunlight collided with us as we stepped outside the big glass doors. A huge wave of relief washed over me and suddenly I felt the feeling rush out of my legs. I started to collapse but Kate, who had been watching me very closely, reached out and caught me; less than a second later, another pair of strong, rough hands joined Kate's. Gently, Clint and Kate propped me up against a little stone wall while Natasha hovered uncertainly, staring directly at me but in fact only seeing thin air. I felt a little bad for her, given that she was the only one who couldn't see me in this scenario. Kate drew my attention back to her by pressing a hand to my forehead. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't get sick, Kate."

"That's ridiculous; everyone gets sick."

"Not me. I've never even had a cold."

Kate remained skeptical, but Clint shrugged like it didn't sound so far-fetched to him. "It's not so improbable, Katie," he said, using the nickname that, judging by the way she wrinkled her nose distastefully at him, Kate wasn't very fond of. "She could be from another planet for all we know. Maybe she really doesn't get sick."

"Another planet…" muttered Natasha, light dawning in her eyes yet again. Clint's head jerked around so fast I thought that he would give himself whiplash.

"Brilliant, Nat!" he exclaimed, grinning widely. "We can talk to him when we get to the tower."

Natasha nodded absently, staring off into space, deep in thought. I, on the other hand, was looking back and forth between the two assassins, extremely confused, while also trying to shake off Kate, who was now checking my pulse.

"You wanna clue me in?" I asked Clint when he didn't elaborate on his statement. Barton just shook his head.

"You'll find out soon," he said mysteriously. Then his face crumpled into a confused expression. "Speaking of which, how about _you_ clue _me_ in; what exactly happened in there? You were fine last time we brought you in."

I pressed my hands to the sides of my head, trying to make sense of what was happening myself. "There weren't so many people last time; and not just people, _agents_." I looked up at him, attempting to explain the inexplicable. "Serious looking men and women who have serious muscle structure and are wearing serious suits, carrying serious briefcases, and going about some serious business." I shuddered and shook my shoulders as if I could shake away the memory. "Everything about them screamed _government agent_ and I don't know why, but somewhere deep, deep, inside of me is this intensely ingrained notion that I can't be near government agents-at all. Every molecule of my existence, every survival instinct that has kept me alive for 22 years, every gut feeling was telling me that I _should not_, under _any circumstance_, be in that building, surrounded by all those suits."

Clint's frown had slowly been intensifying as I completed my not-really-an-explanation explanation.

"Then how come you're okay around me and Natasha?"

I was starting to feel a little better, so I rolled my eyes at him. "Well, for starters, you two aren't wearing suits-" Kate snorted, pausing in her examination of my eyes, "and second, you can see me. I know you aren't going to hurt me and I knew that _before_ I knew you guys were government agents. I think that might be why, but I have no idea."

Clint nodded slowly, chewing on that, turning the idea over in his mind. Suddenly, Natasha spoke again.

"Ride's here," she said quietly, nodding to a sleek, black car that was currently being driven by a tall, thin, brunette who looked very much like one of the suits I had just finished describing. The woman stepped out of the car and walked over to where we were congregated, dropping the keys into Natasha's hand. I immediately tensed up, but Kate and Clint both set their hands on my shoulders and I stilled, although I remained alert and apprehensive.

"Thanks, Maria," said Natasha, jerking her head in the direction of the car. The woman-Maria-nodded and looked suspiciously at the three people she could see.

"Aren't you two supposed to be meeting with Fury right about now? And what are you doing here, Bishop?"

Kate sniffed disdainfully and even in my anxious state I let out a weak chuckle. "It's a free country, Agent Hill," replied Kate, obviously unimpressed with the brunette.

"Anyway," interjected Clint before Kate and Maria Hill could get into a full on argument, "Yes, we were supposed to be meeting with Fury. Just tell him that some extenuating circumstances came up with the matter we discussed this morning and if he wants details he can contact us at Stark Tower."

Maria Hill pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply. "You two will be the death of me."

"Yeah, but you love us anyway," quipped Clint with a smirk. Hill rolled her eyes and waved a hand at him before starting off for the entrance to S.H.I.E.L.D. Natasha swung around to the driver's side of the really nice car that Maria Hill had brought us. I started struggling to my feet, but I hadn't moved more than an inch when Kate sent Clint a pointed look and I found myself being swept up into Barton's arms. I resisted being carried for a few seconds, but then gave up, knowing my efforts would be futile against a fully trained agent. Clint deposited me in the back seat of the car before jumping into shotgun. Kate crawled into the back seat beside me and Natasha took off at speeds that would have given any normal person a heart attack, taking us to wherever this tower place was.

* * *

As it turned out, 'this tower place' was in the center of New York. My heart stuttered a little when I saw it-it was _huge_. I craned my neck so that I could see the top. It must have been as least 60 stories high and right at the top was a humongous, fancy looking 'A'. I frowned because I _knew_ that 'A'; I was sure that I had seen it somewhere before. I was wracking my brain when all of a sudden it hit me like a ton of bricks and I was shocked that it had taken me so long.

Now I might be invisible, but I'm not totally naive. I sometimes watch the news when my borrowed apartments have TV and I snag a newspaper every now and then. Plus, you would've had to be a complete idiot to live in New York and not notice when a giant hole opened in the sky. At any rate, that 'A', and the tower it was attached to, had been on the front page of every newspaper the day after the alien invasion. I remembered it clearly now; I had been shadowing a French exchange student named Marie and after she had discarded her copy of the New York Times I had nicked it and studied the article about the invasion. The 'A' tower-Stark Tower, the article called it- was featured prominently, including a little blurb about the superheroes-the Avengers-going to live there.

_"Look, Clint, we can just give them the two extra bedrooms on our floor. It's not a big deal."_

In my mind's eye I zoomed in on the only other picture that accompanied the article. It was a grubby, pixelated snapshot that showed a man and a woman, both dressed in black clothes that were designed for action. The latter had short, red hair and was wielding a pistol in each hand. The man had light-colored hair and was holding a bow.

_Well that confirms my suspicious,_ I thought. The article had identified the two people as unknown civilians, but I was willing to bet that it was in fact the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were currently driving the car I was in. I mean, what are the odds that there are two men who would have cause to be in the middle of a huge alien invasion/battle _and_ use an old-fashioned weapon? Plus, a glance at Natasha told me that her hair was the same color as the woman in the photo, albeit a bit longer and straighter. But that was easily achieved with a little time and a flat iron.

I chewed on my bottom lip, wondering how best to bring up the fact that Clint and Natasha were both technically Avengers and they hadn't mentioned it. Finally, I just decided to go for the vague angle and hope that the topic eventually worked around to the Avengers.

"So, you're taking me to Stark Tower?"

"You know what Stark Tower is?" Clint sounded surprised and I saw Natasha give the barest flinch when he answered the question that she hadn't heard me ask. I rolled my eyes at Clint, not for the last time, either.

"Duh. I'm invisible, not illiterate, Barton. Everyone in New York knows about Stark Tower."

Clint inclined his head slightly, conceding my point.

"Anyway, yeah this is where we're taking you. We're...friends, I guess, with the owner and another one of our friends is supposed to be in town and we're hoping he can shed some light on how you ended up here."

Clint glanced over his shoulder at me. "He should at least be able to tell us if he's ever heard of anyone else like you. Other planets are kind of his area of expertise"

I resisted the urge to scowl at Clint's attempt to disguise the fact that he was on speaking terms with a billionaire (Tony Stark) and a freaking god (Thor). Kate, on the other hand, did no such thing. Her scowl was fierce and she was glowering at Clint like she wanted to smack him upside the head.

To be completely honest, I wouldn't have been surprised in the least if she had done it.

"What?" demanded Clint, stormy gray eyes meeting Kate's glare dead on.

"How stupid do you think Shadow is, Barton?!" Kate shook get head in disgust. "She just proved to you that she's culturally aware; don't you think she knows who the Avengers are? Don't you think she already figured out that you're talking about Stark and Thor? Don't you _think_?"

"Kate, we had-"

"A good reason? Is there a good enough reason to treat a full grown adult like a five year old?"

"We're protecting our covers" interjected Natasha quietly, keeping her eyes steadily trained on the road.

Kate raised her eyebrows and even my curiosity was piqued.

"Our entire way of life depends on the secrecy of our identities," explained the Russian. "We don't advertise ourselves as Avengers. As soon as the world knows who we are, we aren't of any use to S.H.I. ."

"Fair point," I muttered. Kate rolled her eyes.

"I'd agree to that, but Shadow already figured out that you guys are Avengers."

Clint turned around to question me with his eyes and I raised my hands in surrender.

"Guilty as charged."

"How?!" he demanded, completely incredulous.

"I saw your pictures in the newspaper and put two and two together," I replied nonchalantly, ignoring Kate's self-satisfied smirk that I could just see out of the corner of my eye. Clint spluttered indignantly, gaping back and forth between Kate and myself.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Barton." Natasha rolled her eyes at her partner and lightly socked him on the arm. "We're here."

Clint forced his mouth shut and, after shooting one last scowl toward the backseat, he started to get out of the car.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Barton poked his head back inside the car for a second. "Don't mention Coulson at all while we're in here."

"Why not?" I asked, confused. Kate and Clint's faces crumpled and even Natasha, who had only heard Clint's statement and not my question, had gone completely stoic.

"It's a…touchy subject," muttered Clint finally. I raised my eyebrows at him and crossed my arms, waiting for him to elaborate. Clint sighed and ran a hand over his face and up through his hair.

"Look, I promise I'll explain after we're done, okay? But it's probably not a good idea to keep a narcissistic billionaire and the god of thunder waiting."

I nodded once and he sighed in relief. We all started for the tall glass doors that were the entrance to Stark Tower, Kate and me half a step behind Clint and Natasha.

I was going to hold him to that promise.

* * *

"Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, welcome back." The disembodied voice spoke as soon as we entered the lobby of the tower. I flinched and jumped a foot in the air, staring around with wide eyes, trying to figure out where the words had come from.

"Why don't I get a greeting?" demanded Kate.

"Ah, my mistake. Welcome back, Miss Bishop. Shall I inform Mr. Stark of your arrival?"

The voice spoke again and I gazed around, a pit of terror forming in my stomach. Clint looked a little tense as well, but not surprised. Both Natasha and Kate seemed perfectly at ease and Natasha responded, as Kate had done, as if the bodiless voice was a real person.

"That's okay Jarvis-"

_Jarvis?_

"-we'll go straight up and tell him ourselves."

"Very well, Agent Romanoff."

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Agent Romanoff?"

"_Do_ let Pepper know that we're here."

"Of course, Agent Romanoff."

.

We stepped inside an elevator, my stomach and head reeling from confusion. Kate cocked an eyebrow at Natasha.

"Why'd you have him tell Pepper?"

"So that if the opportunity presents itself to wreak havoc on Stark and we end up making a lot of noise, she doesn't wonder why."

Kate snorted and I pressed both my hands to the sides of my head. "Will someone _please_ explain what just happened?"

"Oh, sorry, Shadow, I forgot that you didn't know about Jarvis." Clint turned his concerned puppy dog eyes on me, sincere apology shining in them. I nodded at him, still rubbing my head. I really wished that I had some ibuprofen or something. I might not get sick, but apparently headaches were the exception.

"So what is this Jarvis?"

"_Who_ is Jarvis," corrected Kate. "J-A-R-V-I-S. It stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. He's Tony Stark's Artificial Intelligence, or AI."

"Oh." I suddenly felt very much out of my depth. The elevator doors dinged and slid open, revealing what appeared to be a common area. There was a kitchen off to the side and a big screen TV surrounded by couches, chairs, and other furniture. Three men were sitting in front of the TV and all three of their head's snapped up when they heard the elevator. The first and only blond smiled. He looked very tall, from what I could tell when he was sitting down, and extremely muscular and well built. The second man had a funny looking mustache and a circle of light shining through his shirt. The third man was wearing glasses and a purple shirt, curly hair hanging down into his eyes.

"Oh look, it's Katniss and Spidey," said the man with the mustache, who I was pretty sure was Tony Stark, but I hadn't seen his picture in a while, so I couldn't be sure.

"Hey Nat, Barton." The blond man nodded respectfully to both assassins.

"Oh look, you brought Katniss Junior!" exclaimed maybe-Tony-Stark. Kate tensed up to my left and I set a hand on her arm soothingly, reversing our roles from earlier. Clint watched both of us from the corner of his eye and I saw him chuckle.

"If you keep calling her that Stark, you're going to find out exactly why she _is_ Katniss Junior." Clint smirked at the billionaire. "How fond are you of your left leg, exactly?"

"Hello Dr. Banner," said Natasha, simultaneously addressing the third man and smoothing out a potentially tense situation. Dr. Banner smiled rather shyly at the redhead's attention.

"Hello Natasha, it's nice to see you." He bestowed another small smile on Clint. "and you as well, Clint, Kate."

"Always a pleasure, Doctor," replied Clint. Both agents were staring hard at the three men and I found myself holding my breath, wishing that they would ask about the girl they didn't know, but at the same time desperately hoping that they couldn't see me. A few moments of silence passed until finally the blond man spoke again.

"Why are you two staring at us like that?"

Clint relaxed, disappointment seeping through him and the breath that I had been holding hissed out through my teeth.

They couldn't see me.

"You can't see her, can you?" asked Clint, echoing my thoughts.

The three men frowned and Tony Stark leaned over to Doctor Banner. "I think Legolas has finally cracked," he whispered loudly.

"I'm not crazy Tony," said Clint, exasperation in his eyes.

"Yeah, I can see her too," added Kate.

"I don't think that's helping your case," muttered Natasha, ducking when Clint's fist flew out at her shoulder.

"What exactly are we supposed to be seeing?" asked the blond man. Clint pointed directly at me.

"There's a girl standing right there." The blond man stared at me for a few seconds, but I knew that he wasn't seeing me by the vacantness in his gaze.

"Barton…there's nothing there."

"Yes there is Captain," insisted Clint. "Look, Stark, have you got a white board or something?"

Stark didn't even bother answering; he just reached to the side and grabbed a screen that was seemingly just a projection hanging in the air. He flung it in our direction and it stopped right in front of me. Clint looked down at me and I nodded. The drill was familiar to me now. I lifted my hand hesitantly, not entirely sure how the technology worked. I pressed my pointer finger and slowly wrote out a message.

_Hello. _

I ignored the collective gasp and continued with the rest of my greeting.

_My name is Shadow._

Clint crossed his arms and looked at Stark, Banner, and the blond with an I-told-you-so look on his face.

"How…" The blond was staring at my writing, a mixture of bewilderment and amazement covering his face. "That's impossible!"

"So was an alien invasion of New York, Steve" commented Natasha drily. Steve tipped his head toward her, conceding her point.

_Steve_. At least I knew his name now.

"We need to talk to Thor," said Clint firmly, looking at Tony, who was still gaping at my message. "Is he around?"

"Uh…yeah." Tony shook his head to clear it. "J.A.R.V.I.S., would you let Thunder 'n' Lightning know that we require his presence?"

"Certainly, sir. Shall I bring Miss Potts as well?"

"Yeah…that's probably not a bad idea…"

Stark, Banner, and Steve were staring at me and I bristled under the scrutiny. You'd think that these people would understand that just because they couldn't see me didn't mean that I couldn't see them and that their staring would still make me uncomfortable. Thankfully, Kate took that moment to come to my rescue.

She linked her arm through mine and grinned at me. "Well now that all the awkward introductions are out of the way, how about some food?"

Relief blossomed through me. They were still going to take care of me.

I wasn't alone.

"That's the best idea I've heard all day," I told her, returning her grin. She made a playful pouty face.

"I thought my gold card and hotel room idea was pretty great," she protested. I shook my head and followed her into the kitchen, leaving the "adults" to stare after us, three of them still in shock.


	4. The River

**A/N: {insert standard excuses here because they're all true} Okay! I'm back! Again, many many apologies for the waiting on this story. Thank you to everyone who sticks with it even through the long absences, you guys are the best! As always, feedback is much appreciated and without further ado, a chapter!:-)**

* * *

_You know a dream is like a river_  
_Ever changin' as it flows_  
_And a dreamer's just a vessel_  
_That must follow where it goes_  
_Trying to learn from what's behind you_  
_And never knowing what's in store_  
_Makes each day a constant battle_  
_Just to stay between the shores_

* * *

Pepper made her way to the common room before Thor. Judging by the grin that she was wearing, she was more than happy to see the two spies back in the tower.

"Clint, Natasha!" she exclaimed. "I feel like we haven't see you two in ages!"

"We were just here for dinner last Tuesday," Natasha reminded her with a smile. Pepper tilted her head conceding the point.

"But it still _feels_ like forever," she said. "And how are you, Kate?"

"Never better." From the smile on Kate's face, it was apparent that she was very fond of whoever this Pepper was. Judging by the look Stark was giving her, I'd say she probably had something to do with him.

"And you lot?" Pepper cocked an eyebrow in the direction of the other three men. Stark made a pouty face at being grouped in with the other two, but Steve tipped his head respectively.

"Quite well, ma'am," he said, Banner echoing him in a somewhat less old-fashioned manner.

"How many times, Steve? Call me Pepper, or at least Miss Potts if your upbringing simply won't let you."

"Call her Miss Potts," muttered Tony under his breath. Pepper fixed him with a glare.

"Watch it, mister," she threatened. "I have the password to all of your bank accounts."

"Hey Pepper," said Kate, interrupting the lovers' squabble. "Do you see a person there?"

Pepper spun around and followed Kate's arm until she was looking at the spot where I was standing. I held my breath, but let it out in a whoosh when I saw the glassy quality of her eyes, a telltale sign that they weren't focused on me. Pepper shook her head and looked back to Kate, confused.

"No. Should I?" Kate shrugged.

"We're not sure. We don't know what it is that makes people see her…or not." Pepper nodded and smiled at what she saw as thin air.

"Well, hello…?"

"Shadow," supplied Kate.

"Hello, Shadow," said Pepper with the same warm smile that she had directed at everyone else. In a flash, she was back in business mode, shooting a glare at everyone else in the room.

"As much as I'd like to stay, I have to get back to work. Companies to run and such. Try not to burn the tower down." She spun on her heel and clicked neatly out of the room.

"Isn't she amazing?" sighed Tony with a smile. Kate and Natasha snorted at the billionaire and I smiled.

I was definitely starting to like the Avengers.

* * *

I don't know if any of you have met Thor, or if any of you ever will, but to be completely honest, I was a little nervous. I'd seen the footage from the battle of New York; I knew that this guy could pack a punch. I also knew that the odds were Thor wouldn't even be able to see me, and even if he could, I knew that Clint and Kate wouldn't let him hurt me. Even so, there was still a taste of anxiety in the back of my throat.

As it turned out, I really had nothing to worry about.

Thor thundered into the common room in full Asgardian dress. According to Stark, Banner, and Rodgers, the god had just recently returned from his home planet. His trademark red cape was sweeping behind him and when he caught sight of Clint and Natasha, he broke into a grin more suited to a five-year-old than the god of thunder.

"Clint Barton!" he roared, bounding over to archer, who tensed, obviously already aware of what was about to happen. Thor swung Barton around in a joyful hug. As soon as he set the agent down, he was moving again, this time over to Natasha.

"Lady Natasha!" he boomed, that same grin still plastered across his face as he knelt in front of her, taking her hand and pressing his lips to it with surprising gentleness. As quickly as he had moved from Clint to Natasha, his eyes flew over to Kate, his face finally settling in one emotion longer than a second: confusion.

"And who is this?" His eyes had slid over me without a second glance and I hadn't even realized that my face had crumpled until I saw the sympathetic look that Kate was giving me. I managed a small smile. It was a mystery to me, when I had started caring whether or not people could see me. Heck, I had gone nineteen years without any other contact; I should be happy that one person could see me, let alone two, not disappointed that people couldn't.

"Kate Bishop, at your service," said Kate with a warm smile. Thor bestowed a small bow on her.

"Very nice to meet you, Lady Kate." Kate would probably deny it, but I definitely saw a reddish tinge appear on her ears. Clint loudly cleared his throat and every eye in the room swung back to him.

"This isn't a social call, per say," he reminded everyone. Focusing on Thor, he pointed at me, even though we all pretty much knew the answer to his next question. "Do you see a person there Thor?"

Thor stared hard at me and I shifted uncomfortably. The god squinted as if he could bring me into focus with the right angle before finally giving up and shaking his head.

"I am sorry. I do not see any person."

"It's okay," Natasha assured him, "Most of us can't. It's only these two чудаков." _(weirdos) _

"But they did prove to us that she exists," interjected Tony, obviously trying to defend his sanity.

"We can have her do it again-" Kate started to say but Thor waved her off.

"No need," he rumbled, "I have seen a great deal that is more far-fetched than this. What is her name?"

"Shadow," replied Clint. He was smiling and it was apparent to me that he was fond of the big Asgardian. Thor nodded and looked right at me, as though he really could see me. It was eerie, knowing that he was looking right into my eyes and also knowing that he was seeing thin air.

"A great pleasure, Lady Shadow." A lump grew in my throat suddenly and inexplicably and for once I was really thankful that he couldn't hear or see me because it saved me from having to make any sort of coherent reply. Thor returned his attention to Clint and Natasha and Kate slipped an arm around my shoulders and giving them a gentle squeeze. The comforting warmth of a friend next to me was the best feeling I had ever known and the precious time I was getting to spend here would most certainly be some of the most cherished in my entire life.

"I assume this is why I was summoned?" asked Thor. Clint and Natasha both nodded.

"We were hoping that you could shed some light on Shadow's condition," said Clint, "She's been this way for as long as she can remember; no one can see, hear, or even really sense her, with the exception of Kate and myself."

Thor frowned in concentration, searching his vast memory and knowledge, but before long he sighed and shook his head.

"I have heard of nothing like this in all my travels across the Nine Realms. It is most unusual."

My shoulders sagged and I saw Clint deflate a little as well. He forced a smile onto his face and clapped Thor on the shoulder, quite a feat given their size differences.

"That's fine. It was a long shot anyway. We'll just have to figure it out another way."

"Perhaps I could-"

But what it was that Thor could possibly be able to do, we weren't going to find out. Who knows, it might have been the solution to every problem that had arisen since I first followed Natasha home. But at the moment, we had more important things to deal with.

Like the fact that bullets were suddenly whizzing over our heads.

I jumped as one flew close enough to blow a breeze through my hair, but before I could react further I was being pushed down into the floor by Kate. Looking up I could see Clint and Natasha, each with a pistol in either hand; Thor, whirling his hammer around, his face void of all previous playfulness; Stark, muttering something, probably to his AI; Banner, fighting something with all of his might-_the 'other guy'_, I realized; and Rodgers, crouching like a little turtle behind his trademark shield.

"Stay here!" shouted Kate over the sound of shattering glass as more bullets rained through the windows. I barely had time to nod before she was gone, nimbly dashing through the confusion to the elevator. I had no idea where she was going and I suddenly felt very exposed. No one else could see me, except for Clint, and they were all at least ten feet from me. But Kate had said to stay here, so here I was staying. Keeping my head low, I pulled my knees up to my chest. I clenched my hands tight enough to turn my knuckles white to stop them shaking.

_Deep breath in…and out…_

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I didn't get stressed often, which was a relief for me, but when I did, my body didn't handle it well. Nausea rolled through my stomach and despite my best efforts my hands were still shaking ever so slightly. I tried to tune out the sounds of the fight raging around me; I dulled my hearing and-for lack of a better word-curled up inside my own head. I thought that I was doing well, that I might be okay until this was through.

But then, a hand closed around my wrist.

"I got somethin'!" shouted a rough male voice. My eyes flew open and I lost all semblance of control. Stomach in rebellion, I pitched forward and left the contents of my last meal on the floor amid glass shards.

"Gross," muttered the man who had a death grip on my wrist. My hand was already pounding from the lack of blood, but I forced myself to look at my captor. He was short with a shadow of stubble over his face and brooding black eyes. I sat there in shock for a few seconds until he started to drag me toward the broken window. My senses flooded back in and suddenly I could hear everything again and I screamed as loud as I could, at the top of my lungs. The man pulling me gave no sign that he heard my anguish, but that might have been because he literally couldn't. I knew now that I had one chance, seeing as Kate still hadn't returned from wherever she had run off to. A glance over my shoulder told me that Clint had five assailants on him and was somehow managing to fight them all off. I didn't want to distract him for fear it would cost him his life, but it was really starting to look like I had no other choice.

"CLINT!" I yelled for all I was worth, projecting the word around the room. The sound filled every space for me, echoed from every corner. Of course, only one other person could say the same. Clint's eyes flicked to me for half a second and they grew wide with terror and anger. He slashed at two more of his assailants but they were simply replaced by fresh ones that kept pouring in. Desperately, he looked around, somehow thinking of a way to save me and also defending himself at the same time. I felt a cool breeze across my cheeks and when I looked toward the window my heart nearly stopped. We couldn't have been more than ten feet from the opening. I looked frantically back to Clint. He was watching me, unable to spare a shot for my kidnapper without sacrificing himself. I could see it in his eyes; he was going to do it, he was going to save me. But I couldn't let him do that.

"No!" I cried, shaking my head emphatically at him. Clint's face was steeled, but at my word he hesitated. We were about five feet from the window now and I was hysterically kicking, pulling, fighting with every ounce of strength I had. Unfortunately, I didn't exactly have the most muscular frame. I looked back to Clint, just to make sure that he wasn't thinking about giving himself up again, and I saw him look to his left, to where Natasha was.

"Natasha-by the window!" The redhead looked up, her arms and hands continuing to fire her weapons even as she looked away. I knew that she couldn't see me, but she couldn't miss the assailant who was just three feet from the window and about to pull me over the edge. There was no hesitation on her part and no way for me to tell her that I wasn't worth a sacrifice. Natasha swung one of her guns toward the man holding onto me and fired once, twice, three times. I watched, horrified as the thug that she had previously been battling with that gun brought his knife down in a deadly arc, far too quickly for even Natasha to react. My breath caught in my throat when, all of a sudden, the man stopped and dropped to the ground, arrow protruding from his back.

Ten paces behind him stood Kate Bishop, bow in one hand, quiver on her back, and one more of each lying on the floor.

I slumped in relief even as she yelled out to Clint.

"Hey, Hawkeye!"

Clint slammed the barrel of his gun down on one of the men's head and swung around to look at Kate.

"Oh thank god," he muttered, "took you long enough."

"Next time, you can go get the weapons. Or, we could just bring them with us, like _I_ suggested." Kate zoned in on the place where she had left me and I saw panic leap in her face. "Where's Shadow?!"

"Here," I called, lifting my good arm for a moment before returning it to cradle the arm that the man had been clenching. Kate's eyes widened and she ran to me. Clint slung his quiver on and returned to the fight swinging around just in time to whack one thug upside the head with his bow.

Kate had an arrow loaded and was watching for attackers even as she checked me over. She eyed my arm with concern, but I just shook my head. There were more important things to deal with right now. Conceding the point, Kate turned to the fight and began to shoot, arrow after arrow, picking off men one by one from her position guarding me, making life just a tiny bit easier for the other Avengers. But it seemed like the men dressed in black just kept coming. They had to have a plane or something over the edge.

Without any warning the whole building started to shake. Everyone in the fight froze, friend and foe alike.  
"What the hell?" I heard Natasha mutter. Clint's sharp eyes were staying around and I saw the exact moment when they widened in realization.

"Duck!" he yelled and I suddenly found myself on the floor with a face full of Kate's hair.

"What the..." I started to mutter, and then I saw the blue light flash and crackle all around us. I tensed, expecting the electricity to fry us to a crisp, but for some reason it made a neat path around all of the Avengers.

The thugs who were attacking us weren't so lucky.

Caught somewhere between fascinated and horrified, I watched as they dropped to the ground, motionless with the effects of electrocution.

"That really wasn't necessary, Legolas." Kate helped me to my feet and we all turned to look at Tony, who had just reentered the room. "I had it programmed to avoid all of you."

"How was I supposed to know that?" grumbled Clint. "The last time you ditched a fight scene, it was to activate a bomb."

"Are these guys all dead?" asked Steve, interrupting before the pair could launch into one of their infamous arguments. Tony shook his head.

"I figured you'd want to question some of them so I set it to non-lethal."

"So we should move them somewhere, tie them up," said Banner, looking around for confirmation, "right?"

"Yeah." Clint nodded. "At least we know what they were after." Amid the questioning looks from his teammates, Barton looked over at Kate and me. "You two alright?"

"Just peachy," muttered Kate sarcastically. I stuck with a simple nod. My brain still wasn't quite up to the task of processing the insanity that had become my life and I didn't know if speaking was the best option at the moment. Satisfied, Clint turned away from us to face his partner who, oddly enough, hadn't said a word since Stark's electrifying finish. It wasn't until Clint drew everyone's attention to the redhead that I realized that Natasha was staring in my general direction. That in and of itself didn't strike me at odd; this wasn't the first time that she had looked at something through me. I glanced over my shoulder to see what had caught her interest, but I found nothing there except some unconscious thugs and a lot of broken glass.

"Nat, what's wrong?" I could hear the concern in Clint's voice as I turned back around and it was obvious that he was worried that she had been injured in some way during the battle. Something felt off, I realized. The way that she was staring was different than the other times that she had seen things through me. All through it she maintained that stare and, despite the fact that I knew she couldn't see me, it was starting to put me on edge.

"Nothing I just…" Natasha shook her head as if trying to clear it and blinked fast like she had to refocus her vision.

That was when I realized what was different. Normally, when people looked through me they weren't quite in line with me and their eyes were out of focus, at least to me. But Natasha didn't fit either of those qualities. She wasn't looking through me at all.

She was looking _at_ me.

I gasped and a hand flew up to cover my mouth. Clint and Kate both instinctively looked at me but I just shook my head at them. This wasn't my secret to tell, so to speak. This was for Natasha to reveal.

"C'mon guys, this isn't funny." Clint was looking back and forth between us like we were a very concerning frustrating match.

"What's happening?" whispered Steve, caught in a storm of confusion, probably because he could only see one half of the conversation. Kate rolled her eyes.

"That's what we're trying to figure out Uncle Sam." Steve blushed deep crimson but fell silent.

"Natasha, what the hell is going on?!" Clint's frustration leaked into his words, but for the entire world Natasha wouldn't take her eyes off of me. She gently shrugged Clint's hand off of her shoulder and walked, one slow step at a time, until she was standing right in front of me. Kate echoed my earlier gasp as she understood what I had figured out. Natasha, face expressionless, stared down at me with those unreadable emerald eyes.

"I don't believe we've met," she said softly and behind her I heard Clint's breath catch in his throat. "My name is Natasha."

I was unable to keep a small smile from creeping across my face. "Shadow."

Natasha nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Shadow."


End file.
